Big money may mean more this year in down-ballot races in Illinois such as the crowded contests for lieutenant governor.

Big money may mean more this year in down-ballot races in Illinois such as the crowded contests for lieutenant governor.

One radio ad that’s had lots of play is for SCOTT LEE COHEN, a Chicago businessman who hasn’t held political office, but who has run some job fairs. Testimonials from three people who got jobs through those fairs — and say they will vote for Cohen — sound very good.

Cohen spokesman PHIL MOLFESE said Cohen has spent about $2 million of his own money on the race.

Molfese said Cohen put together three job fairs in Chicago — on June 4, Sept. 30 and Jan. 14. About 25 employers were at each, more than 1,000 people attended the first fair, and he knows of at least 30 people who got jobs.

“We didn’t have the local intelligence to do that,” Molfese said, meaning knowledge the campaign has of companies in Chicago. Cohen did open a campaign office in downtown Springfield.

Molfese said Cohen would like to turn the lieutenant governor’s office into “an employment office.” I mentioned that the Illinois Department of Employment Security — an agency under the governor — already has such offices across the state. Molfese said Cohen still could fly to other states to seek jobs for Illinois.

How do you fight a candidate who is going to spend $2 million to $3 million of his own money? State Rep. ART TURNER, D-Chicago, who has been running ads of his own, added a line to one of them.

My guess, though, is that lots of voters won’t even know to whom that line refers.

Turner spokesman BRYAN ZISES said Turner also is highlighting newspaper endorsements and is running a spot highlighting his endorsement by Secretary of State Jesse White.

Zises said Turner, with nearly three decades of experience as a lawmaker, can help “bridge the divide between the executive and legislative branches.”

“Somebody who’s a neophyte in politics is exactly the wrong choice,” Zises said.

Turner has the personal endorsement of House Speaker MICHAEL MADIGAN, D-Chicago, but the Democratic Party of Illinois, which Madigan chairs, hasn’t taken sides in the six-way race. That’s part of what makes personal money so important.

The other Democratic candidates are state Sens. TERRY LINK of Waukegan and RICKEY HENDON of Chicago, state Rep. MIKE BOLAND of East Moline and electrician THOMAS CASTILLO of Elmhurst.

Some big dollars also are being thrown around in the GOP race for the lieutenant governor nomination, particularly by JASON PLUMMER of Edwardsville.

Spokesman JOHN PASTUOVIC said the 27-year-old candidate and his family have spent “pretty close to $1 million” to run his ads, which in part have Plummer saying he is “the one candidate for lieutenant governor who really gets it.”

Plummer is vice president for corporate development of his family’s company, R.P. Lumber.

“Jason decided early on he was going to self-fund this campaign,” Pastuovic said. He compared Plummer’s stance to that of former U.S. Sen. PETER FITZGERALD, R-Ill., with whom Plummer has tried to link himself.

Interestingly, a critic of Plummer from his home Madison County, TERRENCE PETERSON, sent reporters some questions about Plummer, including how closely Plummer really worked with Fitzgerald.

A Plummer flier states Plummer “served under” Fitzgerald, but Peterson said that was only as an intern. Peterson is correct on that point, Pastuovic said.

State Sen. MATT MURPHY, R-Palatine, another candidate for lieutenant governor, is benefiting from the millions in advertising being spent by governor candidate ANDY McKENNA of Chicago. Candidates for the two offices run separately in the primary, but McKenna and Murphy are running as a team, so Murphy is in McKenna’s ads — many paid for with McKenna family money.

The family of Springfield lawyer DON TRACY, another GOP candidate, owns DOT Foods in Mount Sterling. He said he’s spent $250,000 on his own effort, family members and the business have added about $200,000, and about $75,000 has come from “a couple hundred friends.”

“It’s hard to compete against big money, certainly,” Tracy said. “But I think the main thing that I have going for me is age, maturity and experience.” He is 59.

Other GOP candidates for lieutenant governor are Carbondale Mayor BRAD COLE; RANDY WHITE, a pastor from Hamilton; and DENNIS COOK, a school board president from Orland Park.

Tracking Hannig money
So, did Gov. PAT QUINN’s new transportation chief arrange for a campaign contribution for his boss?

No, says Transportation Secretary GARY HANNIG.

Hannig, a former state representative, still has a campaign fund. That fund gave $15,000 to the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee on Dec. 18.

On Dec. 31, records on file with The State Board of Elections show, the Montgomery County committee donated $20,000 to Taxpayers for Quinn.

The party organization had enough money to make such a donation without the Hannig transfer, but $15,000 is still a pretty good chunk.

The county party’s finance report for the final six months of 2009 shows that it had $35,000 as of July 1 and raised another $34,800 over the next six months.

The report also showed $15,175 in expenditures — including $5,000 to the Quinn committee in October. That report didn’t include the $20,000 to Quinn that other records showed took place at the end of the year.

ELIZABETH AUSTIN, spokeswoman for the Quinn campaign, said the governor does not take contributions from his employees, but that Quinn was endorsed by the Montgomery County organization in the fall.

She also noted that Quinn’s political roots in the area are deep, as he supported the late state Sen. VINCE DEMUZIO, D-Carlinville, back when Demuzio first won in 1974.

Austin also said that Quinn “had no idea of the amount that Gary Hannig contributed from his political fund to the Montgomery County Democrats, and given that the … county … party had a substantial amount of money on hand previous to that, he does not feel that this constitutes a direct donation from his employees.”

Until Quinn was asked about the donations Wednesday, “he had no idea that Secretary Hannig had even done this.”

In winding down his political account, Hannig said he simply gave the $15,000 to his “home organization.”

“I’m glad they gave some money to Pat Quinn,” Hannig said, but he didn’t know they would do so.

Kirk's military service
The wording of campaign material obviously needs to be watched carefully, to make sure what is said is the same as what it seems to say.

For example, a flier for U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Highland Park, who is running for the U.S. Senate, says: “A Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, Mark served over Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Information

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
The State Journal-Register ~ Street address: One Copley Plaza (corner of Ninth Street and Capitol Avenue), Springfield, ILMailing address: The State Journal-Register, P.O. Box 219, Springfield, IL 62705-0219 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service